


A Promise Made, A Promise Kept

by watcherofworlds



Series: A Friendship Forged in Struggle [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Howling Commandos Montage, Promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8459293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watcherofworlds/pseuds/watcherofworlds
Summary: Bucky reflects on the lengths he's gone to to keep the promise he made to Steve's mother





	

**Author's Note:**

> For an enhanced experience, listen to the song "Howling Commando's Montage" from the Captain America: The First Avenger soundtrack while reading this fic

_January 17, 1944_

Behind enemy lines on the day that would have been Sarah Rogers' forty-sixth birthday, Bucky reflected on the lengths he'd gone to to keep the promise he'd made to her. He walked through a forest, the other Commandos around him, the crisp crunch of their boots on the snow the only sound in the stillness. Suddenly, Steve whipped around and hurled his shield through the air. It struck something in a nearby tree with a ringing clang, and a moment later a HYDRA soldier fell out of it onto the ground, leaving Bucky silently cursing his lapse. He'd walked right by that tree without even seeing the soldier, and none of the other Commandos had seen him either, judging by the looks of shock and surprise on their faces, which meant he could easily have killed Steve before he'd been noticed.

 _I'm sorry Sarah_ , he thought, hoping she could hear him. _I'm sorry._  

Steve returned his shield to the harness on his back in a single fluid motion, interrupting Bucky's train of thought. His manner was nonchalant, but Bucky was still privately in awe of the way he always seemed to be able to know exactly how to throw it so that it hit his target and came back to him. Steve turned to Bucky and gave him a long, searching look.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Bucky replied, trying for a smile. "Let's go blow some HYDRA bastards to kingdom come." Steve grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, and the two of them continued on their march toward the enemy, Bucky on Steve's left side, scanning the trees around them, resolving to be extra vigilant in order to make up for his earlier lapse.

Several days later, Bucky found himself situated on a ridge above a dirt road that wound through a collection of destroyed buildings and rubble that had, until Frenchie had set off the explosives they'd planted throughout it, been a HYDRA factory. Now Steve was coming into the remains of the factory with the Howling Commandos to take care of any members of HYDRA that might still be hanging around, with Bucky watching the road through the scope of his rifle. As Steve passed by the crumbling remains of a wall a HYDRA soldier lunged out from behind it and made a grab for him. Bucky quickly squeezed off a shot before the soldier could reach his friend. Steve turned at the sound of the gunshot, saw the soldier fall, and turned toward Bucky and saluted him sharply. Bucky nodded in acknowledgement of this, grinning at the shocked expression on Steve's face. He had had almost certainly just saved Steve's life, and he felt that this more than made up for his earlier lapse in vigilance.

 _See Sarah?_  he thought, catching sight of Gabe's signal and going to join the other Commandosdown in the ruins of the factory. _I told you I'd keep him safe._

Several days after that, Bucky watched from his perch in a nearby tree as Steve, Dugan, Gabe, Falsworth, Jim, and Frenchie went about their methodical destruction of the last HYDRA base on the SSR's map. Bucky witnessed everything through his rifle scope, and more than once he quick to eliminate a HYDRA soldier who would have otherwise have killed Steve. With all the noise and chaos around him, Steve never heard the shots, and he never knew just how close he'd come to death. That was fine with Bucky. In fact, he preferred it that way.

Their job finished, Steve and the others came to collect him. Bucky slung his rifle over his shoulder, climbed down from his perch, and joined them at the foot of the tree, unable to stop himself from grinning.

"Well, you're certainly in a good mood," Steve remarked once they'd met up with the Howling Commandos who hadn't participated in the mission and were beginning the long journey back to their camp. Steve seemed to be in a pretty good mood himself-he had a spring in his step, and no wonder. He was going to see Peggy Carter soon, and it was no secret to any of the Commandos that he was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with her. Bucky, however, decided not to point that out.

"I kept my promise," was all he said.


End file.
